Lake Torrens

This article is about the lake in South Australia. For the associated protected area, see Lake Torrens National Park.
Lake Torrens

Stuart Creek with Lake Torrens in the background
Lake Torrens
Location in South Australia
Location South Australia
Coordinates 31°02′40″S 137°51′35″E / 31.04444°S 137.85972°E / -31.04444; 137.85972Coordinates: 31°02′40″S 137°51′35″E / 31.04444°S 137.85972°E / -31.04444; 137.85972
Type Salt lake
Basin countries Australia
Designation Lake Torrens National Park
Max. length 250 km (160 mi)[1]
Max. width 30 km (19 mi)
Surface area 5,745 km2 (2,218 sq mi)[2]
Surface elevation 30 m (98 ft)[3]

Lake Torrens is an ephemeral salt lake in central South Australia.

Description

Lake Torrens lies between the Arcoona Plateau to the west and the Flinders Ranges to the east about 345 kilometres (214 mi) north of the Adelaide city centre. The lake is approximately 30 metres (98 ft) above sea level.[3] It is located within the boundaries of Lake Torrens National Park.[4]

Lake Torrens stretches approximately 250 kilometres (155 mi) in length[1] and 30 kilometres (19 mi) in average width. It is Australia's second largest lake when filled with water[1] and encompasses an area of 5,745 square kilometres (2,218 sq mi).[2][5]

The Lake Torrens catchment is an endorheic basin, having no outflow of water to the ocean.

History

Approximately 35,000 years ago, the lake water was fresh to brackish, but has become increasingly saline since.[2] The traditional owners of the area are the Arabunna peoples to the north, the Kokatha to the west and the Kyuni to the east. The first European to see the lake was Edward Eyre in 1839 who spotted the salt bed from Mount Arden at the head of the Spencer Gulf. Eyre named the lake after Colonel Robert Torrens[6] who was one of the founders of the South Australian colony.

The lake filled in 1897 and again in April 1989.[2] It has a thin salt crust with red-brown clays beneath, which are soft and boggy. The area around the lake is sparsely vegetated with samphire, saltbush and bluebush.[1]

Protected area status

South Australian government

The full extent of Lake Torrens has been protected as a national park under the National Parks and Wildlife Act 1972 since 1991.[7][8]

Non-statutory arrangements

Lake Torrens is part of an area known as the Inland Saline Lakes which has been listed in the Directory of Important Wetlands in Australia since at least 1995.[9][10]

Lake Torrens has been identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area known as the Lake Torrens Important Bird Area (IBA) because it supported up to 100,000 breeding banded stilts during the major filling event of 1989.[11] It may occasionally support over 1% of the world population of red-capped plovers. cinnamon quail-thrushes are also common in the IBA.[12]

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "Lake Torrens National Park". Explore Australia. 2010. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  2. 1 2 3 4 John K. Warren (12 June 2006). Evaporites:Sediments, Resources and Hydrocarbons: Sediments, Resources, and Hydrocarbons. Springer Science & Business Media. p. 201. ISBN 9783540323440.
  3. 1 2 Barker, McCaskill & Ward, p.173, 1995
  4. ↑ "Lake Torrens National Park". Government of South Australia]]. 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2014.
  5. ↑ "Largest Waterbodies". Geoscience Australia. Retrieved 15 March 2015.
  6. ↑ PlaceNames Online - South Australian State Gazetteer Site is a searchable database. Accessed 3 April 2012.
  7. ↑ "Protected Areas Information System - reserve list (as of 25 November 2014)" (PDF). Department of Environment Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 8 January 2015.
  8. ↑ "Protected Areas of South Australia September (Map) 2014 Edition" (PDF). Department of Environment, Water and Natural Resources. Retrieved 15 April 2015.
  9. ↑ Eyles, Kathy; Larmour, Geoff; Young, Sarah; Australia. Environment Australia; Natural Heritage Trust (Australia). National Wetlands Program (2001), A Directory of important wetlands in Australia (PDF) (3rd ed.), Environment Australia, pp. 1, 2 & 78, ISBN 978-0-642-54721-7
  10. ↑ "Results of search for "Inland Saline Lakes - SA065"". Commonwealth of Australia, Department of the Environment. Retrieved 13 May 2015.
  11. ↑ "IBA: Lake Torrens". Birdata. Birds Australia. Retrieved 2011-08-01.
  12. ↑ "Important Bird Areas factsheet: Lake Torrens". BirdLife International. Retrieved 5 February 2015.
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